Research agency McKinsey Global Institute’s recent report on the ‘Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the world economy’ states that AI can add $13 trillion by 2030 to the global economic output. Annually, the technology will have an average contribution to productivity growth of about 1.2 per cent to reach this figure. However, with any new technology, there is a gap in the rate of skill-building and technological advancement. Experts in the job market say that any new technology has always disrupted the nature of jobs and the skills required to perform them.

Artificial intelligence is of no difference. Various research estimates show that by 2028 the gap in setting the skill and technological development in AI could lag the economy by approximately $2 trillion. By 2022, 46 per cent of the Indian workforce will be engaged in new jobs created by technologies. Such a shift will surpass the IT sector and revolutionalise other critical sectors, including education, health, agriculture, finance etc. This urgently calls for huge skill sets.

HR Recruitment experts say that in India, businesses face an acute shortage of employees (up to two lakhs) skilled in technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things and data analytics this year. This is a severe issue in labour dependent country like India. Currently, there is a huge gap between unemployment and intensified income inequality in the country. According to industry watchers, the lack of skilled people will also be a threat to the growth of our economy. 

AI skill building 

To attain relevance and scale in AI , there is a need for a systematic approach for reskilling. Under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning(NPTEL), an e-learning project by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, seven Indian Institutes of Technologies are conducting core AI courses to train the students. Apart from these, the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) that was launched in 2015 started to consolidate efforts of skill training in Artificial Intelligence and has launched various programmes.

Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship is now conducting an Advanced Diploma Programme in emerging technologies including AI in collaboration with 100 Industrial Training Institutes(ITI), including 50 all-women ITIs, over the next three years. Global IT giant IBM is offering internships up to five months to selected students, under this programme. Currently 40 ITI’s have been enlisted to initiate the two-year diploma program in this academic year.

One of the greatest challenges in skill building in artificial intelligence is the lack of adequate trainers. To solve the problem, in September last year, under the Directorate General of Training (DGT) division of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, ‘Train the trainer programme’ was initiated. As part of the programme, IBM was roped in to carry out a massive training on basic Artificial Intelligence skills nationwide. The training is to provide an edge to the trainers responsible for imparting academic curriculum to students and help them enter the workforce of industry four according to ministry.

Train the trainer

 As part of the program, ITI trainers are trained on basic AI skills for equipping them to use the technology in their day-to-day teaching activities. With 14 trainers across 7 locations- six National Skills Training Institutes (NSTI) and one Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Pune- and conducting more than 200 workshops, the training programme is equipping 10,000 faculty members from ITIs across the country in AI basics. This will be completed in one year according to Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Government of India.

“In this programme, we started from the basics of AI. As of now we have completed training 4000 ITI faculties across India. By August this year our mission is to train 10,000 faculties,” says Manoj Balachandran, Leader, CSR, IBM India. IBM, along with its partner NGOs, have developed the curriculum for the trainer programme. 

According to RK Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, “Programs for training the trainers bridge the technological gap between the students and teachers and ensure the passing of industry-relevant skills to students promoting better learning and better retention by the students.”

The training consists of a face-to-face workshop and online modules to ensure holistic learning and certification for faculty members. At first, the learners are assessed to measure their level of knowledge which is then followed with online courses. The IBM team provides technical support to the learners. The trainers are also ensuring continuous learning. After completing the program, participants are again assessed to further measure their skill set and the level they have achieved. “ IBM has its Skills Build Platform, which helps youth to scale themselves as per changing market trends. The 10,000 faculties who are trained as per this programme will get access to the platform and can scale up themselves in future,” sums up Balachandran. 

Image credit: University of Frazer Valley via Flickr